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Detained PSM members subjected to ISA like torture and interrogation

Malaysian Socialist Party (PSM) Statement - July 1, 2011

The PSM is alarmed that its detained members are undergoing torture and inhumane interrogation from special Bukit Aman Officers who are brought specifically to extract information as most of those detained have preferred to use their rights under the law to speak to the court and not to the police.

Reliable sources from the police and those detained have confirmed that the police seems to be not making any headways in their investigation and hence they have brought in the thugs from Bukit Aman as a last minute bid to extract information,

PSM calls for the immediate release of all detainees, and if the need be, we call for them to be bailed or to be charged immediately. We call upon the police to stop all harassment, torture and inhumane treatment immediately.

Among the shocking revelation of the tortures unleashed by the Bukit Aman team is:

Solitary confinement

  • All the seven detainees in IPK are placed in solitary confinement and we learned that some others at Butterworth and Kepala Batas has since yesterday been placed under solitary confinement.
  • These practice is illegal and is most commonly used during the first 60 days of ISA torture
  • These detainees are also interrogated long hours between 9 till 5pm daily
    • Deny Legal Representatives
  • In spite being a Constitutional Rights – the Rights for a lawyer - All detainees has been denied their lawyer from meeting them except for the two juvenile
    • Deny Visitation rights
  • 6 people have been denied visitation rights and they are Dr. Jeyakumar – Member of Parliament, M.Saraswathy – National Deputy Chairperson, Choo Chon Kai – PSM Central Committee Member, M.Sukumaran –CC Member, Letchumanan – Sg Siput Branch Secretary and Sarath Babu – PSM Youth Leader.
  • The Police have stated that they are denied visitation because the investigation is not over and because they are nor being cooperative.
  • We worry about their safety and call for their immediate release.
  • Women Detainees in Kepala Batas had a thick glass separating them and their visitors making the conversation difficult and a mockery.
    • Denied Medication
  • Some of those detained have complained that they have been denied medication in spite of their health condition.
  • Some detainees who need special food due to their health conditions are denied these foods and are given normal foods like other detainees.
    • Inhumane, Demoralisation and Foul language
  • Most detainees have complained that the Bukit Aman Team has also employed degrading foul language and are called things like "pariah" and other degrading language.
  • Some detainees are also forced to stand during the entire interrogation therefore torture and punishments seems to be the order of the day rather than investigation.
    • Denied Basic Items
  • Most detainees were denied basic items such as soap and toothpaste and some were only given yesterday, despite the fact that these items were provided by families to the police on Monday to be passed to the detainees.
    • Denied sufficient drinking water
  • Most detainees complain that water were only given during meals and not at other times
  • Some Hindu detainees were also given beef to eat
    • PSM views this is a gross human rights violation and calls for SUHAKAM and other International Human Rights Bodies to intervene. PSM also feels strongly that real investigation is over and what the detainees are undergoing now is sheer torture and punishment.

    We call for their immediate release. We hold the Penang CPO, Inspector General of Police as well as the Home Minister responsible if anything befalls our comrades.

    Released by
    S. Arutchelvan
    Secretary General

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